Can you believe it? We have reached the end of our six week journey through opera!

If you were to ask me what I thought I would have learned about opera in the beginning of the semester, I would have said something along the lines of “things about opera.” I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but boy, did I enjoy it.

In these six weeks, I learned about all the different styles of opera, how opera has evolved, information about the building of the new Met, and much more. But, most importantly, I absorbed everything that there was to learn about La Fille du Regiment.

Although I was excited about visiting the Met in general–since I have never been there before–I appreciated the experience more because of how much I understood the opera and what was happening. This was easy to see in comparison to my friend’s experience of the show; since she was not in our class, she didn’t express the same enjoyment as I did.

One of the aspects that I loved most about the opera was the sound quality. Before going to the show, I was able to watch a recorded version of La Fille du Regiment, which exposed me to the amazing talent of that 2008 Met cast. While I appreciated their skills, this respect augmented through experiencing the opera live. Despite the fact that our seats were far in the back, the singers were able to project their voice throughout the room without the aid of microphones. I definitely couldn’t do that!

I also enjoyed watching the orchestra during the performance. I think sometimes the orchestra is deeply undervalued; people appreciate the music, but don’t really think about where it comes from. Thus, while I initially was upset about having seats that were up high, it gave a great view of the orchestra. This added to the opera’s performance value because I was exposed to all the aspects of the show, not just the singers.

Since I previously watched the 2008 performance of La Fille du Regiment before seeing it myself, I already knew what to expect. While this was great in helping me develop a strong understanding of the opera, it limited the uniqueness of experiencing a show for the first time. For instance, one aspect that I didn’t enjoy about the performance was the set and costumes; since I already knew what they were going to be, it would have been nice to have some variety.

Despite this, one of the aspects that was beneficial about watching the recording before going to the Met was that it further showcased the talent of the cast. When I first watched the recording, I was instantly impressed by the singers’ talent and performance quality; however, this level of talent is expected from a recording. Thus, when I experienced the same degree of talent at the live performance, I was amazed. I couldn’t believe that people are capable of that much skill!

While I enjoyed the opera itself, the best thing about going to the performance was experiencing the Met Opera for the first time. It was interesting to see the different types of people that walked through the door. Here we were, a group of college students just getting off of a four hour bus ride, walking into the Met. Originally, I was worried about what I was wearing, but it was nice to see other people wearing jeans and sweaters as well. However, there were also others who blew me out of the water. I remember leaving the opera and seeing probably the best couple goal ever: a woman, wearing a fancy, straight red dress and high heels that I would break every bone in my body if I wore, accompanied by a man in a full suit. It was amazing experience, being immersed into a whole different type of lifestyle.

Overall, I am not only amazed that I was able to experience the Met and La Fille du Regiment, but I am blessed to have this exposure. I can truly say that I will never forget it nor my newfound knowledge of opera!

Hello again; welcome back to my blog! This week’s post is taking a little bit of a new direction. Obviously, it will still be centered around opera (“Thank Goodness!”), however, we will be focusing on a new aspect: societal relationships of La Fille du Regiment.

You are probably wondering, “Why dedicate a week’s blog to that?”. Character relationships, whether they may be sexual, familial, platonic, or societal, are important aspects of opera. They not only enhance the performance quality of the show, but they also showcase the societal atmosphere and expectations of when the opera was written. In the case of La Fille du Regiment, we are focusing on the early 1800s.

For this week, I’m going to drive into the relationship between the Marquise of Berkenfield and Hortensius. Like stated in my previous blog, the Marquise is Marie’s mother and a woman of high status. Other than the Duchess, the Marquise has the highest ranking out of all the main characters of the opera.

Hortensius, on the other hand, is of much lower ranking due to his status as a servant. However, since he works for the Marquise, he occupies a higher social class than those of Marie, Tonio, the villagers, and the soldiers.

The relationship between the Marquise and Hortensius is clear; Hortensius serves the Marquise as a servant, making their interaction societal. This served and servant relationship is evident immediately at the beginning of the opera, especially in track 4. The Marquise, freaked out of her mind about the invading soldiers, promenades around the stage while Hortensius runs around caring her suitcases and attempts to help her in any way possible. It is easy to see the power that social rank had–and one could argue, still has–on relationships. Though the Marquise is, in some degree, acting irrational, and Hortensius is annoyed and frustrated with her actions, no one tells the Marquise that she is acting ridiculous.

There is one portion of this track where I believe the societal relationship between these characters is the most obvious. The Marquise sings on top of a chair while Hortensius and the other villagers sing and dance around her. Here, the Marquise’s high status is metaphorically evident through physically being higher than everyone else on the stage. Additionally, if one was not introduced to Hortensius previously, one may assume that he is of equal status as the villagers because he is singing and acting in a similar manner to them–only his clothes provided evidence that he is of different status.

The music of this track further solidifies their relationship. When the Marquise sings alone, the music is light and airy, giving an elegancy tone to the song that expected of someone of high status. However, when Hortensius sings, he usually does so with the villagers. There is more fullness to the song, which causes his singing to get muddled. Thus, his lower status is showcased through the inability to hear him, which translates to the idea that he is not important enough to be heard.

What further interest me about their relationship is the sex of each character. During the 1800s, women were viewed as inferiors to men (which, again, could be argued that it still exist today). Thus, it is surprising to see a male serving a female. It makes me wonder whether it was purposeful or not. One could almost question the writer of the opera’s choice to make this artistic decision; was it simply convenient or was Donizotti attempting to question the female and male dynamic of his time? One could also argue that his goal was to further solidify the immense influence that an individual’s social class has, showcasing that even the gender expectation of the 1800s wasn’t as important as status.

However, while this relationship seems to be something of the past, it still influences society today. Looking at the servitude bond between these two characters reminds me of assistants that work for large celebrities–specifically, Kim Kardashian comes to mind (and yes, Keeping Up With the Kardashians is one of my favorite shows!). Kim, estimated to be have a net worth of $45.5 million, is one of the largest influencer of our generation. Through her makeup and perfume lines, her children, her husband, her show, her gaming app, and a multitude of other revenue sources, she dominates the globe. And yet, it is not possible that she would be able to pull it off alone. Instead, she has numerous assistants that help her with projects and manage her daily tasks; like that of La Fill du Regiment, the Marquise cannot function without the help of Hortensius. Additionally, if you were to compare Kim’s assistants to her, there is an obvious social status gap–one similar to that of the Marquise and Hortensius. But, if you were to compare a assistant to someone of simpler life–for example, a broke college student like me–the assistant would, by far, have higher status.

I would just like to say that I enjoyed that I was able to talk about Kim Kardashian in this blog–who knew that would happen! All kidding aside, the fact that there is a parallel in the relationship between the characters of a 1800 opera with that of celebrities and their assistants showcases how prevalent this interaction was and continues to be. More than that, it demonstrates how influential opera can be.

That’s why studying opera is so important!

If there was anything that I learned this week about opera, it is that it has a humorous side. To learn this, I drove into opera through watching a live recording of “La fille du Regiment.” And how amazing it was!

There were so many things that caught my attention–the performance quality, the amazing sets and costumes, the talented cast–but there was one aspect that interested me the most: Marie.

This character may seem like an obvious choice… but that is because she is! Not only is Marie funny, energetic, and entertaining, she is the type of woman that I strive to be. She doesn’t blend into her surrounds; she is her own person who strives to achieve her desires. Throughout the opera, Marie’s mannerisms and disposition never evolve; however, her goals and desires do. While some of her goals are challenged, she is able to achieve them through her humor, trusting herself, and the help of others.

Marie, in the 2008 performance at The Met, played by Natalie Dassay, is an orphan that is taken up by the regiment. My favorite part about this character is her humor. Even though the tones of the opera can be serious at times–for example, being forced to sign a marry contract to someone that isn’t Tonio–she is still able to keep everything light and fun.

As “la fille du regiment”, she becomes accustomed to the life of war, acting differently than how a “typical” woman was expected to behave during that time.

Initially, Marie’s goal is to serve the regiment as a vivandiere, who is a woman officially attached to a regiment and has the primary purpose of selling alcohol and food. At this point, her goal may seem small–to continue to live the life she currently has–however, it is just as important as any of the other desires that evolve throughout the performance. She doesn’t want to lose her identity as a person, which is a goal that anyone, especially me, can relate to.

However, after being saved by a villager named Tonio, she gains a new goal–thought she doesn’t realize it right away. Tonio, after their encounter, falls in love with her. Initially, she doesn’t receive his love well. Marie is confused and conflicted by Tonio’s love for her–and her love for him–because it doesn’t correspond with her duties to the regiment. As an enemy of the French, Tonio is not well liked by the rest of her “fathers.” Her desire for him becomes challenged by the status quo of the regiment and what is expected of Marie. Yet, through Tonio constant attempts to win her heart, and Marie trusting in her desires, she eventually realizes that she can have both.

This realization is immediately impeded by the discovery of shocking information: Marie is the niece of the Marquise of Bergenfield (in actuality, she is her daughter, however that information is not disclosed until later into the piece). Because of this, Marie is forced by the Marquise to leave the regiment and learn the “proper” manners of a lady. Her goal to be with Tonio becomes challenged, and almost unattainable by the Marquise’s decision to take her away. With this, she is not only unable to be with Tonio, but she also loses her life with the regiment.

Although Marie dislikes the Marquise’s lifestyle, and struggles to understand it, she realizes that it is important for her to try to become accustomed to it. Thus, she places her goals on the back burner, focusing instead on the new goal of learning the “proper” manners of a lady, even when the Marquise desires her to sign a marriage contract to the son of the Duchess of Krackenthrop. Though both Tonio and Marie plead to the Marquise to allow them to be together, she ignores their request. Heartbroken–both from her loss of Tonio and of the regiment–Marie builds up the courage to sign the contract.

While you may be upset with this news, don’t worry; the story doesn’t end there!

It is through a final attempt by Tonio of convincing the Marquise to allow him and Marie to be together that she finally grants him this wish. Though Marie’s goals were challenged, she achieves them by the end of the opera. She ignores the disapproval of the Duchess and those of the upper class and pursues her love, despite of what they may say. The desire for her goals overpowers the social expectation to marry someone of higher or equal status.

“Wait!”, some of you are probably yelling at me though the screen, “If the Marquise didn’t give her approval to Marie, Marie would never have been able to be with Tonio and keep her identity with the regiment.” While this is true, it showcases something important: Marie gained another goal throughout the opera. She grew the desire to share a life with the Marquise. Therefore, Marie was not only able to achieve two goals, but a third one as well.

If you ask me, that’s pretty amazing!

Hello; welcome back to my blog! Are you ready to once again be immersed in opera? Because I know I am!

This week’s blog is centered around a duettino—a small duet—called “Sull’aria.” When I first listened to this duet, which was before I looked up the translation, I instantly knew I was going to like it… Who can resist two women banding together to catch a cheating husband!?

“Sull’aria” is a song from Le Nozze di Figaro,an opera centered around a Twilight-of-sort love triangle. Susanna, the maid of the Countess, is engaged to Figaro, a servant of Count Almaviva; however, the Count is enamored by Susanna and desires her for himself. The Countess, believing her husband is unfaithful, and Figaro, angered by the Count’s actions towards Susanna, attempt to foil Almviva’s plans. 

Knowing its plot, one can really appreciate this opera–or at least I can! Le Nozze di Figarohas a serious yet fun air to it, which I find enticing. However, the aspect that I most enjoy about this opera–one that many probably cannot relate to–is that “Sull’aria” was scored for oboe, strings, and bassoon. Having played the bassoon for nine years (I know! Can you imagine?), I always am appreciative and intrigued by music that is written for the bassoon since it is usually a typical background instrument. 

Recently, I was introduced to the movie The Shawshank Redemption,which, to the dismay of my classmates, I have never heard or seen before. For those of you who are also like me and apparently live under a rock, here is a little background about it: it is centered around two prisoners condemned at Shawshank State Penitentiary who become unlikely friends and eventually gain redemption. 

So you are probably wondering how this movie is relevant to “Sull’aria.” It isn’t…. Nope, just kidding—it is quite the opposite, in fact.

One of the most famous scenes in The Shawshank Redemptionis when a prisoner breaks into the main control room and begins to play a song through the loud speaker so that no prisoner nor guard nor worker could not not hear it. “What song is that Isabella?”, you might ask. 

“Sull’aria,” of course!

When he plays the duet, there is an immediate change experienced by the entire prison. At an instant, everyone stops what they are doing, and just listens; there is no moving, no talking, no fighting. Seeing this scene for the first time, I had goosebumps. What is amazing about this scene is that “Sull’aria” gives the prisoners, for the first time in years, a taste of freedom. Listening to something “So beautiful that it can’t be expressed in words… and makes heart ache because of it,” produces a profound effect—even if for only a moment—on the men. The feeling that the duet gave the prisoners is the same response I have whenever I listen to opera. It takes me away from reality, providing me with a temporary escape from my troubles and worries.

However, what is the most interesting about this scene is the directors’ choice in picking “Sull’aria.” Though they could have picked any song, they chose this duet in particular. Why is that? 

“Sull’aria” accounts Susanna and the Countess writing a letter for the Count in order to catch his unfaithfulness. They tell him to meet Susanna in the garden, where the Countess, dressed as Susanna, will go to check him. Though I would not argue that plot of this scene matches with that of the movie, the lyrics of the duet parallel what is physically happening in the prison. The lyrics, translated from Italian, are as followed:

On the breeze

What a gentle little zephir

A little zephir

This evening will sigh

This evening will sigh

Under the pines in the little grove.

Under the pines…

Under the pines in the little grove

Under…the pines… in the little grove

And the rest he’ll understand

Certainly, certainly he’ll understand

The connection I see between the duet and movie scene may not what other people see nor what the directors had in mind, but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It just means that is different. When I listen to “Sull’aria,” I picture the meeting place that Susanna and the Countess are discussing; a meeting place hidden from view, covered by pine trees but still able to feel the breeze of the wind. A meeting place where truths are exposed; where the Countess reveals herself and the Count’s actions are finally brought forward. I imagine this meeting similar to what is occurring in Shawshank Redemption. Instead of a garden, the meeting place is a prison yard, hidden from the world and covered by tall fences. When everyone in the prison hears “Sull’aria,” they stop and nothing else matters. It is almost as if they are meeting each other for the first time, united together through the temporary freedom created by the music and not by their identities as prisoners. Though the prisoners are isolated from society, the music gives them some humanity, like the breeze that blows in the garden. Their truth—the freedom and humanity that they deserve—is able to rise to the surface. And, for a moment, they are able to feel the breeze.

Whether the filmmakers chose the “Sull’aria” with this idea in mind is not important. My idea can be completely different than the person sitting next to me. What is important to understand is how versatile opera can be. This comparison shows how opera can affect people differently and can be regarded in a multitude of ways.

And, most importantly, it shows how opera can serve as a new meeting place for all of us. 

Ah, my friends; welcome to my blog and the world of Opera! Or at least in the way I see it. Though I have had some exposure to opera–my eighty-year-old Nonna singing along to “O sole mio” while cooking sauce on a Sunday afternoon–I have never viewed opera from an analytical and musical perspective. Thus, I have decided to immerse myself into opera! During my first introduction to opera, I learned of “Ah mes amis:” an aria from Donizetti’s piece, La Fille du Regiment.

General synopsis: Most of what I found about the opera was either the history about the opera or written in French. I’m just kidding…slightly. The opera centers around Marie, “la fille du regiment” and Tonio, the villager who falls in love with her. This is the general summary one would find when quickly googling Donizetti’s opera; however, its plot is not important in terms of being able to appreciate the show for what it is. Its aria, “Ah mes amis,” needs no introduction–one doesn’t need to know its meaning in order to enjoy it. Known for containing nine high C’s (something that the average human, and certain I, could never obtain), this aria is built to show off the the amazing range of a tenor singer. Imagine when you are fighting with your sister and yelling at the top of your voice. You can feel the buildup of pressure at the top of your head. This is called head voice. What is impressive about hitting the high C as a tenor is that tenors are stereotypically characterized by singing in a range that uses chest voice–similar to when your yoga instructor tells you to breathe from you stomach–and yet, though the high C is out of their Tessitura (their average range) and requires head voice, they instead sing it with chest voice. This contributes to the complexity and triumph that is the “Ah mes amis”. However, for those of my two readers who understand little about opera like me–I assure you I know nothing; you should hear me sing–there are other ways to appreciate this aria. For example, the emotion that is showcased throughout the song increases its depth, making it further impressive and therefore increasing its showiness.

Like any song, emotion is not only important in terms of the fact that it adds depth, but it works in an additive function with the music and the text. Combining these things, “Ah mes amis” perfectly showcases Tonio as a character. Due to his love for Marie, he attempts to join the regiment. Through understanding this, as well as the lyrics of the song, one can easily see his love for her. Below is a portion of the aria that showcases this idea:

“Ah, my friends, what a day for celebrating! I shall march under your flags. Love, which has turned my head, from now on is making me into a hero. Ah, what happiness, yes my friends… Yes, she for whom live and breathe.”

Here, it is clear to see the love and desire that Tonio has for Marie; so much so, he is willing to put his life at risk and join the regiment. The depth and strength of his devotion is also translated into the music, with deep, brassy tones mixed in with the lightness of clarinets and flutes. The buildup, leading to the nine high C’s, helps to intensify his emotions.

Studying opera for the first time, I have begun to appreciate this style of music in a different way. While I have always found opera to be an impressive art, I now realized how its style enhances the meaning of the opera has a whole. When listening to a pop song–for instance, “New Rules” by Due Lipa–it is easy to understand the meaning behind it; the lyrics clearly translate what she is trying to express. However, the beat itself, while catchy (I constantly get it stuck in my head), does not enhance its meaning. I think it is helpful to compare this idea to a math question: it is nice to know the question and its answer, but one cannot completely appreciate it with knowing its solution (sorry, I had to throw in some math there since it is the only thing in this blog that I actually understand). Before I learned the plot of the play, I could already tell that it had some deeper meaning and purpose. Opera is expressive, intense, and captivating. It didn’t matter that “Ah mes amis” is not in English; its beauty is easily translated through the skills of the singer and the depth of the music.

If you are like me and this is your first time attempting to understand opera, it is hard to grasps the talent and skills required to achieve it, especially as a tenor singer. Thus, I found that comparing it to the music I listen to makes it easier to comprehend. Consider heart-throbs like Shawn Mendes or Charlie Puth, both who are incredible singers. They have wide rangers and sing the majority of their high notes in head voice (which they are probably able to do since their pants are so tight). Tenors such as Juan Diego Florez or the famous Lucanio Pavarotti, like stated previously, don’t do this; they, instead, sing with chest voice. While both types of singers take intense skill, the skills that they each exhibit are different, which is translated into their sound of their music. While Shawn Mendes is light and fun, Pavarotti is intense and impressive.

If you can’t infer by now, I am the least qualified to explain opera. What I can express is how it makes me feel. It resonates inside me, bringing up emotion and a good number of goosebumps. It is a great style for anyone who desires music that translates emotion and feelings. It is calming yet exciting; it is light yet deep… And I might say, my new favorite style of music. So, mes amis, lets enjoy it together!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton